Parks and Recreation was one of the best shows ever to have graced our television screens. And the series had a great line-up of cameos that were hilarious to watch. Including Presidents, First Ladies, Congressman, and more.
One of those cameos was First Lady Michelle Obama. When Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) is going back and forth on what she wants to do with her life and career (and whether she wants to move to Chicago with Ben Wyatt), she meets the First Lady. Who is, famously, from Chicago. The cameo was beautiful, hilarious, and, according to Amy Poehler’s Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast, Obama was “perfect.”
“Do you have a memory of that day? I’m sure you didn’t because you were probably the middle of your workday, but I have a very strong memory about something,” Poehler said to Obama, who said that the day was a “blur” for her but explained how she was nervous about it since she’s “not an actress and I’m running lines and trying figure out, I mean, can be a good actress on top of everything else.”
When Obama asked Poehler what she remembered from that day, she shared how she thought Obama was perfect. “We were busy. We were hitting a bunch of places that day. You were perfect. You got your line. You hit your mark. You said your line, and my character, Leslie Knope, is supposed to be overwhelmed by seeing you.” Which led to Poehler revealing that she herself was star-struck seeing the First Lady.
“And I, Amy Poehler, was also very jazzed, and I went to say my line, and I drooled,” Poehler said. “Do you not remember? I’m glad you don’t remember. I full on drooled.” She went on to say that Obama was a “total pro,” despite Poehler drooling during their take. “You just looked like, ‘Okay. Maybe this is a choice.’ And then director yelled, ‘Cut’ … I was like, ‘Did I just drool?’ And they’re like, ‘You did.’ “
The joy of Parks and Recreation
What was always great about Parks and Recreation was the infectious joy the series brought to us. You were always left smiling after a new episode of the series. And that seemingly extended to people that the show got to make cameos. Not only was Obama an important guest but we also saw Leslie’s celebrity crush, President Joe Biden, in an episode as well as other important Washington figure heads.
But Poehler went on to talk about how much fun filming the show was back then. She said that Parks and Recreation “was such a fun time, because not only was I getting to do the job that I loved, but it was a time when it felt like everybody wanted to stop by and be part of the show that was about public service.”
Poehler went on to note that it was a different kind of time when they were filming Parks and Recreation. “And it was a different time where there was this ability or lightness, I think, in many ways to just put a bunch of different people together in a room, and they don’t agree, and they still find a way to work together,” she said.
(featured image: NBC)
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